The Murders Before the Marathon

Waltham, September 11, 2011: Three men, throats slit, cash and drugs left on the bodies. Two years later, two dead suspects: Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and a friend who the FBI says was about to confess. One haunting question: Could solving this case have prevented the Boston Marathon bombings?

It’s nearly midnight in a nondescript condo complex a few blocks from Universal Studios in Orlando, and Tatiana Gruzdeva has been crying all day. Though neither of us knows it yet, as she sits on the corner of her bed and sobs in tiny convulsions, the fact that she’s talking to me will lead to her being arrested by federal agents, placed in solitary confinement, and deported back to Russia.

Next to us on the bed are nine teddy bears. Eight of them came with her from Tiraspol, Moldova. The ninth was a gift from her boyfriend, Ibragim Todashev. Today would have been Ibragim’s 28th birthday, but he is not here to see it, because in the early hours of May 22, 2013, a Boston FBI agent shot and killed him in this very apartment, under circumstances so strange that a Florida state prosecutor has opened an independent investigation. According to the FBI, just before Ibragim was shot—seven times, in two bursts, including once in the top of the head—he was about to write a confession implicating himself and alleged Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a brutal triple homicide that took place in Waltham, Massachusetts, in September 2011.

I’m sitting awkwardly at one end of the twin bed. She’s crying quietly, cross-legged at the other end, wearing shorts and a white shirt with sequins. Most of her outfits have sequins or rhinestones. She’s 19. I’m 26. We both have long blond hair. We’ve both been close to men who were in trouble with the law, and lost them violently. We’ve been talking for about an hour, mostly about men, and parties, and moving forward after a tragedy. Ibragim was a good man, she says. He could never have committed a murder.

“I’m here alone,” she cries. “I hope it never can be worse than this.”

I try to comfort her, but it’s complicated. We both want to know why Ibragim Todashev was killed. She wants to clear his name. For me, and for the families of the Waltham murder victims, Ibragim’s shooting may have snuffed out the last chance at finding out what really happened that night. In the back of my mind is this question: Did her dead boyfriend kill my friend Erik?

September 11, 2011 was a Sunday, and at twilight Erik Weissman was looking for somewhere to spend the night. That afternoon he’d visited his younger sister Aria at a diner down the street from their parents’ home, but he didn’t have a place of his own—he’d been couch-surfing since the cops busted him on drug charges back in January. He kept his belongings at his friend Brendan Mess’s apartment on a dead-end street in Waltham, and that’s where he usually stayed. Erik and Brendan were established pot dealers who occasionally worked together and shared an interest in sports, personal fitness, and designer weed. But Erik had cleared out of the apartment while Brendan was going through a dramatic breakup with his live-in girlfriend, Hiba Eltilib. He had recently been staying with a friend in Newton. “That chick is crazy,” Erik had repeatedly told the friend.

That night his friend in Newton was busy, so around 7:30 p.m. Erik drove his Mercedes SUV back to Brendan’s place in Waltham. It was a warm night, cloudless. Brendan and Hiba had finally broken up, and Hiba had split for Florida, so the coast was clear. Brendan had invited another friend, Rafi Teken, to come over, too. Like Erik, Rafi had been avoiding Brendan’s place while Hiba was there. Rafi and Hiba were known to get into arguments of their own.

At 7:30, Erik sent a text to his friend in Newton. Shortly thereafter, all three men stopped answering their phones.

The bodies were found the next day. Erik was 31. Brendan was 25. Rafi was 37.

It was Hiba who found them, of all people. On September 12, she returned unexpectedly from Florida—most of Brendan’s friends were under the impression that she wasn’t coming back—and after she couldn’t reach Brendan on her cell phone, she showed up at the apartment and asked the landlord to open the door. The bodies were inside. One news report says that Hiba left the house and screamed, “They’re all dead!” Another says she went outside, crying, with blood on her feet, and calmly asked for a cigarette.

Their throats had been slashed with such force that their heads were nearly decapitated. A veteran Waltham investigator called it “the worst bloodbath I have ever seen,” and compared the victims’ wounds to “an Al-Qaeda training video.” About a pound and a half of high-grade marijuana covered two of the corpses. Rafi Teken’s face was left untouched. Erik Weissman had a bloody lip. But Brendan Mess, an experienced mixed martial artist who trained in jujitsu, had real fighting wounds. His arms were covered in scratch marks. He had puncture marks on his temple and the top of his head, another mark by his ear, and he was bruised around the lips. It didn’t scan like a robbery: There were eight and a half pounds of pot left in bags and glass jars, and $5,000 dollars left on the bodies—enough for a cheap funeral, for one of them.

Hours later, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone stood amid a scrum of reporters on the dead-end street outside Brendan’s home at 12 Harding Avenue. State police had found a “very graphic crime scene” in the second-floor apartment, he said. “It does not appear to be a random act.” He told reporters that there was no evidence of a break-in—that it was likely the assailants and dead men knew one another. Assailants, plural? a reporter asked. Leone replied that there were “at least two people who are not in the apartment now, who were there earlier.”

“This is a fluid, ongoing investigation,” he said. “We will have information as we develop the facts.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrQXIl_YNs Phaerisee

Have any details been released of the incident where the “friend” was killed during an interrogation while in custody? There is something odd that does not add up about this particular part of the case. Did this individual work as a paid informant prior to the bombing?

S.I. Rosenbaum

That is the entire second two/thirds of the story. Keep reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrQXIl_YNs Phaerisee

I didn’t see the informant idea brought up in the last 2/3 of the article. So what do you think? Do you have anything helpful to add?

Ed Hall

The FBI murdered Ibragim Todashev in cold blood in Florida. They shot this unarmed person 7 times, including once in the top of his head. Their refusal to explain this shooting is all the evidence any thinking person needs.
If we let them get away with this murder we are in effect giving them permission to do the same to us.

Ed Hall

It is obvious that the FBI murdered Ibragim Todashev in cold blood. If we let them get away with it, we are inviting them to do the same to us.

bluesandwine

it’s obvious he was killed by an FBI agent. But there is clearly more to this story, and by writing and talking about it, we are not allowing them to get away with it. More info is still needed to determine many open questions. It’s too easy to assume they killed him for no reason, just as they were getting all the info that could help them.

yerpski

When Ibragim T was arrested for beating a guy unconscious the cop warned him that if tries to fight he’d be shot. Everybody in that room had guns and were probably weaker wrestlers than him. This is a guy who has a history of getting violent. My guess would be Ibragim believed this to be his last chance at life outside captivity.

TruthRising

Both were patsies that were setup. This was a false flag event carried out and planned by the FBI themselves. That’s the real story behind all this. They then used the event to test out Martial Law.

TruthRising

…

Truth4ever

CHURCH! But they don’t want to understand though…

TruthRising

,,,

furtive

The Boston FBI CHIEF WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE IN WATERTOWN. the police chief relinquished authority which was lawless.
Watertown was his jurisdiction not federal troops from neighboring states run by HOLDER & Mueller.

cyndyt

I believe they were trying to force him to sign a confession. I do not believe Ibragim was involved in any murders or the Government Sponsored Bombing.

As for the murders, is it possible these guys got a visit from someone in government wanting them to set someone else up and when they refused, they were killed?

What if Tamerlan had confided in his gym friend, Todarev, that he was doing work for the FBI or CIA, and Todarev said as much while being questioned? What if the FBI merely suspected that he knew? There had to be some reason why the FBI’s Boston special agent sent everyone else from the room, then executed the witness, which is certainly what happened.

This is so creepy and discouraging. Who investigates the police and the FBI when they seem to be involved in murder, drugs and cover-ups. The connections to Watertown police, the failure to investigage…..Who can you trust?

Thank you Boston Magazine for doing these types of investigative reports.

cyndyt

Rachael Maddow has been and is doing great reports on the FBI and how they investigate themselves. Go to the show’s website and do a search for all the reports.

gearbox123

“creepy and discouraging” is exactly right. The government kills somebody, says he confessed to a crime, and all the witnesses are deported. Who wants to go up against that?

Cory Koff

The government was behind it. NOTHING could have prevented it I met Jahar and he was the sweetest and kindest boy I’ve ever met. Sorry but nothing is ever going to convince me that Jahar and Tamerlan were involved this is all bullshit from the government.

celts

you need to get checked out. your out of your effin mind

Passafist

I have seen Cory Koff post in at least 10 forums around the country in regards to the Boston Bombings. Every post starts with “As someone who met Johar”… I met OJ Simpson in Vegas… So he must be innocent right?

Passafist

So….. Did you even read this story? Is Tamerlan innocent of this triple murder? Sure the FBI May have screwed up in FLA and your curly haired boyfriend probably got his mind bent if not beaten by his big brother. Tamerlan was a straight up terrorist wannabe who ended up a speed bump with your “innocent” pal behind the wheel. Jahar ran over his brothers head to get away. Nice kid. The government didn’t do that. He did. The government didn’t hide in a boat around the corner writing a confession in his blood either. However “nice” he once was the man changed and killed women, a child and a police officer. If someone breaks in to your house tonight who do you call? A friend from high school? No…. The police… He tried to kill many more but failed. Time for you to wake up and grow up.

CarinDr

Why do people contend that the boat message was written in blood? I have never seen it reported as such. Did you actually see a legitimate source report that? Or are you just laying on the melodrama?

Passafist

I guess it would have been more appropriate to say ink mixed with his blood. It was written in ink on the inside wall of the boat where he was found. He wrote that his actions were retribution for what US did to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CarinDr

“I guess it would have been more appropriate to say ink mixed with his blood.”

Well, is that appropriate? That makes it sound like he consciously mixed blood in with the ink. Has that been reported? He may have gotten blood on the message simply because he was bleeding, but that’s not the same as wording it as “ink mixed with his blood.” Is there a legitimate source that says he “mixed” the two? If not, that’s still melodrama.

Passafist

I am aware of your concern and I agree. I will try to be more on point in the future. I guess I made the mistake of assuming there was blood and ink in the same vicinity of his blood ridden body. I will have my future posts proofread prior to posting. Hopefully they are more to your satisfaction.

CarinDr

This wasn’t about proofreading. It’s about whether something (that I’ve read again and again from person after person on comment boards) is true or not true. The idea of someone “writing in blood” is a very particular kind of claim; it’s not a proofreading issue.

furtive

Manufactured evidence much much later.

All PROPAGANDA TO CONDUCT A LYNCHING.

Change You Can Keep

So just to get this straight, your actually saying that Tsarnaev while on the run from 10,000 police and military (literally, look it up) he somehow remembered to bring a ball point pen with him to the boat, BUT FORGOT TO BRING A GUN? They really expect us to buy this?

Passafist

Is it not possible that the pen was already on the boat?

Passafist

I guess it would have been more appropriate to say ink mixed with his blood. It was written in ink on the inside wall of the boat where he was found. He wrote that his actions were retribution for what US did to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Truth4ever

He wasnt ran over, he was arrested alive and well. Seen it on the news channel 5 live and heard police talking about the arrest on my police scanner app while I was watching it with my gf. Stop believing everything you see on tv. Dont know what is really going on, but I know for a fact the older brother was arrested alive. (Not to mention the story changing from him being killed by the police into being killed by his younger brother) Seen it on TV live and heard it on a police scanner app. Toodles.

Passafist

Toodles? Excellent. One minute you say don’t believe everything I see or hear on the news then you try to prove your conspiracist argument by saying WCVB has video proof?. So speedbump was there? He did fire at police? The govt. didn’t do that right? I don’t have to watch it on TV. I met Dic Donahue and saw what those two cowards did. Throwing out more pressure cooker bombs on their way to NYC to commit more acts of terror.

Truth4ever

I don’t care who you’ve talked to. If you look up photos online they have him handcuffed and put into the police cruiser practically naked. I forgot all about “someone” being put into a police car until the pictures resurfaced online. And I seen this live on television at 2 am in the morning as the whole was going down because I actually live in Boston. Not to mentioned what I heard on the police scanner app. It’s even more suspect that that footage was never put on the air or discussed ever again. You don’t have to believe me, I know what I saw. And it doesn’t even matter what the circumstances are, someone is lying about something. I mean why would they change the story (first him being killed by the police turning into his brother running over him) and never address someone being arrested (even if it was the wrong person) and put into a police cruiser??!!

Oh and I guess you haven’t heard about a police drill being conducted with bomb sniffing dogs and plain clothed agents seen everywhere on Boylston St. MINUTES before the bombs went off. I’m just saying, mainstream media is known for lying on a consistent basis. Ask the people who were actually there. I’m done with this conversation…Toddles.

I have seen Serpico. Good movie although some parts are fictionalized. I dont disagree with you that there is corruption in law enforcment. I think corrupt cops should be held accountable and prosecuted. I just think its awful that because people are anti-government they cheer terrorists and spit on the memory of an innocent boy. The police offficer killed was a young kid in his cruiser. Two woman doing nothing but watching their frinds run a race were butchered. Im just pointing out the injustice done by the two terrotist brothers. If the goverment did the bombings, as I have read here; did they walk on the MIT Campus and pull that trigger on Officer Collier? Your arguments of False Flags and coverup are as fictiious as an adapted Hollywood movie that you are so actively touting on your other posts.

furtive

Read ” chsnge you can keep ” comments.
This was staged.
The TSARNAEVs were not at MIT nor at the 7-11.
The FBI needed multiple charges so, they killed him from behind.

The CIA has a Hollywood production office.
This was a wag the dog play…
Think outside the box.
These kids are/were not murderers.
His CIA uncle..maybe.

Con Safos

Did you even read this remarkable piece of daredevil journalism. You wrote :

‘ Jahar ran over his brothers head to get away. Nice kid. The government didn’t do that. He did ‘

You just know. Cause it said so in the Boston Globe.
.. Sheep much?

Passafist

I don’t read the Boston Globe but I did speak to one of the Watertown Police Officers. He was shooting at your punk hero as he drove off and over his brother. He saw it because he was there. You all are the sheep and should move to Chechnia if you think the USA is so bad. Yes we have corruption and scandal. We can walk out the door without fear of our safety. The only reason the Tsarnaevs mother isn’t here is because she has a warrant for shoplifting!!! That’s another government setup right?

Ezriah

It’s pretty naive to think that because you met someone and they were nice, that you know what they are and are not capable of. And a government conspiracy behind the marathon bombings? To accomplish what? What an embarrassing post.

furtive

You are embarrassing & lack wisdom.

Con Safos

Seriously – use your brain.

bluesandwine

Listen, believe what you want, that is all on you. But casually knowing someone means nothing – nor does it signify innocence, etc. Jahar will get his day in court and he will have his chance to defend himself. What you think is irrelevant.

deeeeeeeeeeeeez

fuck you

yerpski

Unfortunately this sounds like pretty standard police work.

Ralph Hornsby

You asked whose toes Eric and Mess stepped on? It was Boston Police and or Boston FBI. Boston FBI has lied on numerous accounts in the BMB and are the most corrupt field office in the US. For instance the The Whitey Bulger Eric Holder connection. Carmen Ortiz scrambling around trying to cover everything up. This is about to bust wide open and I hope there are some brave investigative journalists to report on it instead of working for the courts like The Boston Globe does.

bluesandwine

The problem still remains what does the FBI and the Middlesex DA have on the murders. A huge chunk is yet to be known to really understand this case better. I agree, Waltham Police depart did not do their job. But where I disagree with this author is to draw a wider conclusion that even if they questioned TT it would have resulted in conviction, thus the BB would not have happened. I mean if they had all the info necessary they would have solved it on the spot, so could it have been prevented, all this new info is just now being known, not then. No one can predict what would have happened if Tamerlan was detained. Maybe if his mother didn’t leave the country, the Bombing wouldn’t have happened. Maybe if Tamerlan was able to box for the US, we could have prevent the bombing. You can’t predict human behavior. I wonder if that is the reason the Waltham got a new police chief? The list is endless. Hindsight is all well and good but this does change some current facts about the Boston Bombing and the evidence that incriminates the Jahar. He was not forced to do anything, at least from what is being revealed – nor does his note left claim to be under any duress but actually praises his brother. I have no problem with questioning people, especially crimes like a triple murder and the Boston Bombing, but clearly someone gave the green light to deport this group of friends. Again, pieces are missing to really understand all the different tactics and strategy. Yet, I even wonder how these friends were able to receive asylum when these countries they are from are not under threat. In fact at least a few of these men traveled back to the region without any problems.

furtive

TT was a patsy. Doubtful the Waltham murders were nothing more than payback IOU or turf.
If TT was charged, then the FBI WOULD HAVE FOUND OTHER PATSIES.
The BB was going to happen on schedule regardless.

Think outside of the box.
This email below was sent shortly after the explosions on 4-15-13:

Im anxious to hear This American Life’s take on the events They will devote the entire show to it next weekend.

kristenzem

Thanks for the heads up! I’m inters ted to hear it as well.

ratzgirl

Hey Boston Magazine, maybe you could not have pictures of corpses on your website, Just a thought.

kristenzem

Honestly – or print a warning. Shit that was not pleasant.

Ralph Hornsby

Public needs to know how corrupt and evil the Boston FBI field office is. They should all be let go and a new team put in.

LisaW

Shame on you Boston Magazine! The news media does a good job of warning viewers when presenting graphic images… any media outlet that has any standards of decorum – whether the content is delivered via TV or web – should follow the same.

And I don’t need graphic images to communicate corruption… I’m an intelligent adult… I can figure it out by reading the article.

barbara

Sometimes you have to see things to know what happened. If you look at the blood on the apartment floor just inside the front door, you can see that Ibragim was trying to get away from them when they killed him.

Something

I found the contents of the article to be a lot more disturbing…

hwt123

These false flag ops are getting sloppy , the news is out that the Holmes in Sandy Hook were sold to the “victims” for 0 dollars, including Adam Lanza’s Mom & school officials … some were 2 time lottery winners…

One of the major questions FBI faces would be: Why all the Todashev’s close friends have been deported for one reason or another, shortly after the shooting? Why is the FBI investigative report complete and not released yet? And finally: Why unarmed man has been shot 7 times, one of them in the head – to make sure he is dead. Unless we the people receive reasonable answers to these burning questions the credibility of the institutions involved is under question.

KCV

Alright, if you ever had any doubt about living in a police state this should answer that question.
It would be interesting to know how much time the FBI spend catching criminals as opposed to covering up mistakes, getting rid of people that know about their mistakes and taking down those that would reign them in.
Transparency is the only answer. No secrets!

MyWikiDisQus

This is what happens when the Department of Injustice is controlled by the Executive Branch. Political agenda has removed Lady Justice’s blindfold and she now has become a whore for the State.

Woody Box

Fascinating, courageous journalism. Thank you Susan.

On a side note, in the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the prosecution is stonewalling just like the FBI in the Todashev case. But their strategy is not working anymore. The judge has ordered them to provide the defense with the evidence that allegedly incriminates Tsarnaev. They should have done that months before. Why is the prosecution stonewalling? The trial is going to be interesting.

Many of us have several exhibits of positive evidence that the BMB was mostly a Hoax even if 1 or 2 people happened to get in the way to be killed. The BMB was training in Martial Law and a setup for federal gun-grab.

Harold Saive

The corruption among federal agencies is completely ballistic. The USA and western countries are run more and more by extra-governmental authority and billionaire mobsters in a dangerous attempt to globalize everything. These groups intend to control the earth, water and air you breathe with privatized monopolies. Next time you see a chemtrail you can be assured that the jet aircraft spraying them is a virtual “sky tractor” to control the food supply.

Matt Rsr

Great read. Really enjoyed. Reality has become fragmented in America. A great example of the larger narrative.

barbara

Very Interesting about the 3 FBI agents sitting in a car watching Ibragim after he knocked the guy down and drove away after the accident. I have never heard that before.
I’ve always thought they arranged for that accident to happen to add to the “legend” of ” violent hothead Ibragim”. That accident happened just 6 weeks after Ibragim had his first major knee surgery. In the police report, the police officer said that Ibragim kept trying to tell him his side of the story – that the guy came at him swinging, and he had to fight back to protect his knee. He was still using crutches at that time.
One other thing, about the Waltham murders. I read the early reports in the paper and the autopsy reported the deaths were caused by a knife of an ice pick. Much later, after the bombing when the authorities wanted to shift the suspicion onto somebody like Tamerlan or Ibragim, ( and away from drug dealing and corrupt officials) the “official” remarked that their throats were “slit from ear to ear – just like out of an Al Qaeda training film.”
I’ve heard it before that Tamerlan didn’t go to his friend’s funeral, and so that means he killed the guy?! Naw. I don’t think it means anything. IMO.

shawn T

I think it continues to be encouraging that people are asking questions about what happened in and around that day in April. Lots of questions to be asked. Answers to be given. One thing that is for certain is that the US Govt. should not be trusted . They can manipulate anything they want at this point. My guess is that they set those Boys up, used them for what they needed and left them out to dry. By the way we still believe Oswald killed Kennedy right?

TruthRising

Cash and drugs left on the bodies? What a crock of BS. Reminds me of the Dave Chapelle episodes where he would make fun of cops for sprinkling crack on people’s bodies.

furtive

The FBI goal was to kill any trail leading to the boston massacre: EVERYONE was deported so there would be no witnesses or discovery by the defendants attorneys.

It is called : WITNESS TAMPERING WITH LIBERTY & JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Great chronology Susan. Now write the screenplay. The FBI could not do a better script.

Those Chechens and most of the FBI and cops involved are all CIA assets. How do you think it was so easy for Tamerlan, Uncle Tsarni, Tsarnaev clan and Todashev to get into the country on student visas and then violate. Why would we freely offer asylum to people coming from Islamic extremist regions like Chechnya and Dagestan.

The same FBI field office in Boston had gone out to the Tsarnaev house less then two years prior, but they still needed the public’s help in identifying him? No. F’ing. Way.

Al Frank

Uncle Tsarni’s father-in-law, Graham Fuller, was top CIA National Intelligence Council chief in Kabul and Kabul station chief. Deep Islamic ties. Fuller’s daughter’s middle name is Ankara, Samantha Ankara Fuller (google it), she was married to Uncle Tsarni, Tamerlan’s uncle, the guy who went crazy on TV and blamed it all on the Tsarnaev’s and called them “idiots”.

Tamerlan’s father fled back to Dagestan because he took a physical beating in Boston, at the hand;s of Fuller’s and Tsarni’s drug business. CIA has been running drugs to finance ops for a ling time. And the Chechens’ mafia is 2nd only to the Sicilians. Tsarni ran the whole crew. Check that pizza place they worked in Oralndo. Probably a drug operation. Todashev was def buying Oxycontins in the easiest place to get them: Florida … and selling them in Boston. The markup is huge the farther north you go. How do you think he had 4k in his coat and a Benz?

Good work tho, Susan. You aren’t done yet, tho.

Paula Mine

I’d like to share this on my FB page, but I know that the photos that first appear are something some of my FB friends don’t want to see. You might consider that when you post a story like this. I know people who will un-friend someone for posting graphic stuff, no matter how interesting the article is.

Joe Palooka

Check the No Thumbnail box when you post on facebook…

Paula Mine

Thanks. I did figure it out sort of. Got the non graphic photo first. Thank you.

Change You Can Keep

Here are my issues with the events of the Boston Marathon Bombings:

Watertown:

First off, the FBI identified the Tsarnaev’s well before Sean Collier was killed, and there have been some reports that they were even surveillance of both brothers 24 hours before Collier was killed. Why did the FBI wait to arrest them until after Collier died? They had identified them publicly at the press conference 2 days before, why are they surveiling them AFTER they ID’d them to the media as suspects?

Second. The FBI report of the events in Watertown absolutely don’t match up to either the official story, or even the WTPD report.

The FBI report states only the black Mercedes-Benz was on the scene when gun fire breaks out, which makes sense because the official story is that Tsarnaev brothers car jacked Danny, and drove from Cambridge to Watertown in the black Mercedes-Benz. Now go and read the Watertown police report, or the large article in the New York Post that was posted interviewing the officers. They say very clearly in the article that they engaged both the green Honda Civic AND the Black Mercedes Benz SUV, one brother in each car.

See the problem here folks? If they engaged both the green Honda, and the Black Mercedes, this means that AFTER Danny had escaped the Mercedes in Watertown and calls the police, telling them to be on the lookout for his Black Mercedes, the Tsarnaev brothers then drive back from Watertown to Cambridge and pick up the green Honda Civic, then instead of dropping off the now reported to police car that the Boston Bombing Suspects are getting away in, that the police are hunting for off, and car jack a new car no, no. They then take BOTH CARS WHICH POLICE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BACK TO WATERTOWN where Danny just escaped!

Either way, WTPD says two cars were on scene, the FBI says there was only one, why the discrepancy here?

Truth4ever

Lets not forget a day or two after the bombing, the FBI and BPD needed the public’s “help” on identifying the brothers/suspects. They put up blurry images (in which they later on showed the same images in higher definition) and said all over media they didn’t know who they were and needed people to call in and give tips if they knew who they were…lmao smh. That was quite a show…

furtive

Very interesting. Good synthesis:
Did you see this email posted shortly after the bombs exploded?

pudge1671

First of all I think the author is a bit naive, following her logic we can blame WWII on Hitler’s mother for not aborting him. As for the shootout in Watertown I think every policeman who fired a weapon should be fired and their permits to carry firearms revoked

furtive

They were ordered to kill on sight. The FBI ILLEGALLY TOOK OVER JURISDICTION.

Bobbie Cohen

Well written article. Thank you for trying to make sense of the events where questions are ignored, investigations stonewalled and finger pointing changes minute by minute. Unfortunately blame abounds and we will never get the truth. Law enforcement is based on brotherhood and one lies and the others will swear to it, so if anyone expects resolution, I am sorry there will be none. It is the same in the Medical Community as well. We will put the younger brother to death and that will be the end, whether or not he deserves it. I can’t judge, but I know boys at that age are not very mature and I seriously doubt he knew the effects of the bombs or even had a good grasp on death add in a dearth of other factors and well…. However he will die for his part which he probably will welcome at this point. No getting around it all the law enforcement agencies involved from those watching big brother to those investigating or not investigating a triple murder right up to before, during and after the marathon screwed up. No one is clean.
My wish is the survivors continue to thrive and their spirit inspires me. They are the heroes and we cannot forget how our soldiers stepped up to show how to succeed despite all odds. Our soldiers who show us all what the true meaning of survival is everyday. Shame cities and communities need a crisis to come together but regardless the country has so much to be proud in their response.
Silly but shows how poorly all agencies worked, would it have taken too much to place a call to animal control to pick up the kitty?

furtive

Pre meditated staged. The brothers were actors in the crowd, just as bob bauman with the fakes sticks in his stumps identified them.
All gullibility for a trial run martial law drill..1 step at a time in cities across the country to confiscate the 4th. & 5th amendment.
Susan’s criminal attorney dad KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON & Susan wrote this story with his insight and advice.

Bobbie Cohen

Are you for real??? 911 and Katrina were government take overs as well, huh? Try channeling your imagination and conspiracy theories into something worthwhile and challenging. Trial run martial law drill??? GMFB. It must be really scary to deal with random acts of violence in your mind which is why you latch on to conspiracies. Susan’s article stands and the only fact she mentioned her father was for full disclosure.

furtive

You are sleepwalking, exactly what the government hopes the majority of America’s personality is.
Your profanity speaks volumes.

Bobbie Cohen

Try again, No profanity, Bad guess but shows where your mind goes
. You have tried to dominate everything and everyone on this board. I doubt this is the only place you do this. How about getting out and making a difference in the real world. Maybe journaling will help.

furtive

I’ve done my homework. You should appreciate the links I share with the readers.
You suffer from myopia & auditory comprehension deficits.
No one will come for you because you didn’t speak up

Bobbie Cohen

They say pick you battles and this isn’t one worth my time. I hope you don’t gamble because I could see where your success rate would be low. You don’t know me. I doubt much gets by me however I can assure you I speak up. There are so many challenges in this world right now, I choose to focus those that do the greater good and make a better world for all. So do I care about this. Yes, but on the suffering and the senselessness of it and that one more little boy will die so the American people can feel good and get “closure”. If they come for me, I will be sure to grab my bible and gun. I bow to you, the board is yours. Oh and by the way regardless of your lack of respect for another’s position, I do appreciate your dedication to your copy and paste skills in finding articles that support only your point of view. We are all guilty of it. Human psychology. It affects what we watch and the opinions we form and hold dear.

furtive

Touché

Bobbie Cohen

You are very interesting. I am at verizon.net if you want to know what I do spend energy on…

furtive

Not really.
I used to live in Watertown in the 80’s.
Went to college @ BU, then worked with kids.

Moved out of state after that.
Hence, my propensity to teach your children well.
Just take the time to read my links, & then get back with any mindful reconsideration .

I am seriously concerned that tsarnaev atty is wired. She is always assigned to the HIGH PROFILE PATSY plea bargaining agenda of the DOJ.
MUST BE PAID WELL FOR INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUSEL.
HE NEEDS UNTAINTED REPRESENTATION.

In the video, it is stated that the bombings are solved. Making such a biased statement is an attempt to reinforce in the public’s mind that the suspects are guilty.

The BMB case is not solved, no one has confessed to it (evidences has yet to been presented to a impartial jury in a courtroom trial), no one has been found to be guilty of a committing a crime by an “impartial jury” in federal court, neither has anyone been convicted of committing any crimes in regards to the Boston Marathon incident, as well as, to all the alleged events that transpired days after the BMB.

By making such a biased statement can potential influence the public’s opinion to be persuaded into forming their own biased opinion that the accused suspect is guilty by mere opinion and not factual evidence.

Who has confessed, been charged with or convicted of committing the triple homicides in the Waltham case? People want answers, justice and the ability to find closure to heal from these (Waltham, BMB and Todashev) horrific tragedies. But in doing so, we should not be so quick to judge that someone is guilty and/or was involved as an absolute fact in these matters based on biased opinion and not factual evidence.

The danger in making such a statement is the ability to potentially taint a jury pool, particularly in the Boston area, from which an impartial jury selection is drawn from, not only for the Tsarnaev case, but for the upcoming Kadyrbayev-Tazhayakov-Phillipos trial. When looking for answers in these events, justice and closure we must remember that everyone deserves a fair trial also.

furtive

The corrupt FBI HAS SUCKED ALL THE OXYGEN OUT OF TRUTH.
A lies gets half way around the world before the TRUTH GETS ITS BOOTS ON

RepPress

Too many people are ignoring the substance of this article and are focusing on a confusing CNN interview where the host did a horrible job presenting the facts explained in this article. I try to add some rationality to the people who are leaping to irrational assumptions, see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OVxQgvSqZ0
(my video links back to this article, something the conspiracists don’t even bother doing)

frederigoxcz305

My Uncle Harrison recently got Infiniti Q50 Sedan from only
workin part time on a home computer… go to this website B­u­z­z­3­4­.­ℂ­o­m

Keith Martin

The Boston Marathon Bombing (BMB) has smelled of an intelligence false flag operation from the beginning and the stench only gets stronger as new facts come out. The BMB was the usual wake-up call from the likes of the CIA/FBI to remind us that the terrorist bogeymen still exists and that we need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars and give up additional losses of privacy for the FBI/CIA to keep us safe . There are people in our national security apparatus that should be hanging for their crimes of 9/11 and BMB. Unfortunately, the criminals happen to be the investigators and we have a pathetic and complicit media gatekeepers.

US intelligence fingerprints are all over the BMB, and the only real question is whether the Tsarnaev brothers and Ibragim Todashev were willing operatives, set-up patsies, or expendable assets from another covert operation (e.g., helping aid Chechen rebels/terrorists in their fight against Russia with the backing of US intelligence). The many facts and evidence supporting these theories are vast and beyond the scope of a blog. Thus, I will provide a brief summary of some of the more important evidence:

1. Russia warned the FBI twice and the CIA at least once about Tamerlin’s likely connections to Chechen terrorists. These unimaginative idiotic institutions had the audacity to give the same excuses for BMB intelligence failures that they gave for their many 9/11 failures.

2. Investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker showed in a five part series that good old Uncle Ruslan Tsarni, the single most person responsible for establishing the narrative (“legend”) of Tamerlan’s Islamic extremism, is unquestionably a CIA operative and Halliburton crony with ties to Chechen terrorists.

3. The Boston FBI claimed they had no knowledge of who the alleged BMB suspects were when they released the infamous video 3 days after the attack, even though they had extensive contact with Tamerlan and his family before that time.

6. Critical questions and discrepancies regarding Dzhokahar’s escape and survival of several hundred rounds of gunfire into the boat he was hiding in. Why was he taken to Beth Israel hospital to be operated on by Israeli doctors when closer hospitals?

The intent of a covert operation is to create illusions to disguise the real objective. Although the specifics of all the illusions created in the BMB are not fully known, and may never be, there’s enough evidence to indicate that the FBI and CIA were complicit in the operation and its cover-up. The many anomalies and discrepancies in the story coupled with the same old alleged intelligence failures is reminiscent of the 9/11 false flag operation. At least America is now waking up to the sleaze and trickery that the US national security apparatus uses to support its very existence and to keep its citizens fearful and the hundreds of billions of dollars rolling into their cronies pockets in the futile and non-winnable “war on terror.”

furtive

Israeli doctors? You had me Until then. Why not go to their website to see who has privelges.
Perhaps they had the best ER TEAM AVAILABLE or the best security.

Keith Martin

Furtive: Bringing Dzhokahar to Beth Israel hospital to be operated on by Israeli doctors is questionable for several reasons: (1) There are probably about a half dozen closer hospitals and another half dozen of approximate equal distance. Boston probably has the best and most hospitals in the world and any could have handled Dzhok’s wounds; (2) the official excuse for bringing Dzhok to Beth Israel is that BI’s Israeli doctors are used to working on victims of terrorism. However, Dzhok’s alleged wounds were primarily minor gunshot wounds, the type every ER in Boston would have no problem treating; (3) It’s a lot better to get a foreign doctor who could leave the country immediately and not be subject to US laws to provide support for the covert op; (4) Lastly, all three victims were Jewish, with at least one being devout ( Eric Weissman, The Jewish Daily Forward 4/22/13), and the two suspects were Russian Chechens. This “blood bath” hit has all the earmarks of organized crime and I don’t think we should ignore the potential involvement of the Russian-Jewish mafia and/or the Chechen mafia in the triple murders or the BMB. If you know anything about covert operations, it would not be the first time US intelligence has worked with organized crime or Israel.

furtive

Too many hops for me.
One victim was Chinese. Another was an Irish boy.
So only one Jew.
The FBI murders all collateral witnesses , or deports them…. As in Orlando. Most likely Todashev was executed because he would have been a witness, or would have provided an affidavit asto his conversations about Tamerlans CIA CONNECTIONS with TAMERLAN.

Any MDS deported or murdered?
If so, then your theory is more believable.

Keith Martin

Furtive: You misunderstood, all three victims in the Waltham triple murder were Jewish, with at least one being devout (The Forward, 4/22/13). Call me crazy, but alleged Muslim extremists and devout Jews just seem to make strange bedfellows to me (Zalkind and others state that Tamerlan was good friends with at least Brendan Mess). If you cannot see a potential connection with the Russian-Jewish mafia and/or Chechen mafia in the triple murders (and therefore BMB), you have to at least appreciate the extreme irony. Like I said, it’s not unusual for US intelligence to use Israel or organized crime in covert ops, especially the sleazy CIA.

furtive

Ok. Now I am back on track.
Could it be that TAMERLAN didn’t go to the funeral because his FBI SPONSOR advised against it, so as to not suggest foul play?

My intuition is speaking now: the Waltham murder was vengeance with others’ turf. It was a contract hit. Two of the boys were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

FBI had other plans for TAMERLAN & didn’t need him to get arrested & talk about his liaisons.

Given that it was 9-11-11 is a big clue however…a calling card.

Keith Martin

Furtive: Todashev’s assassination “may” be related to his potential knowledge of Tamerlan’s US intelligence connections (or even the fact that the FBI knew Tamerlan before BMB from the Russian warnings relating to his Chechen rebel/terrorist contacts). Although I have a couple of theories, I think I’ll defer final comment until more information comes out on both Waltham and Todashev (very little evidence released
on both cases to date and a lot of hearsay). However, I would not jump to the conclusion that Tamerlan and Todashev were the murderers, it could be that the evidence was planted to implicate them and build Tamerlan’s “legend” as evil. Just the fact that so much of the information on both these cases is being concealed should be a red flag something is amiss (Zalkind’s statement that the Waltham PD was going to let the triple murder case “solve itself” leads me to believe there was probably some kind of Fed stand down order). The FBI will only release the evidence that supports their case/theory and that’s why it’s going to be important to look at “all” the other information before forming a more definite opinion.

furtive

I agree with your first inference: Susan’s findings indicate Todashev gets annoyed by boundaries.
The FBI is baiting him.
He holds back, but gets so mad that he blurts out he knows Tamerlan was undercover for the CIA/FBI &’if asked he would testify. He probably made a veiled threat of exposing them even before the trial.
THE FBI HAD HIM ON A HIDDEN TAPE.
An verbal argument escalated. The agent prophesy had intending to lock him up, but toldashev got him so had he had the other cops leave the room, &’he shot him.

I know the girlfriend witnessed done of the earlier interrogation from the lift, too bad she didn’t tape it.

Based upon this piece, it is OBVIOUS THAT ANY TANGENTIAL EITNESS HAD TO BE UNAVALABLE TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF TAMERLAN.

not to worry, the defense hs DOJ ZINSTRUCTION TO PLEAD. TYENLEAD ATTORNEY REPRESENTSNALL THE PATSIES. SHE IS THE

Cuppa

Alex Jone$ is that way —->

furtive

The search for foreign involvement in the Boston Marathon Bombings has been a sad joke.

The fact that no one has stood up and called “shenanigans” on the mainstream purveyors of what is supposed to be responsible journalism in this country is a national disgrace.

When you look at how this happened, its hard not to suspect that a “higher power” than the FBI was steering the investigation.

This raises the strong possibility that the FBI’s investigation into the bombing has been manipulated, or steered, by the CIA.

In the post-mortems to come on the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, the crucial question will be: Who was behind this effort, and why?

A big question is what Uncle Ruslan stood to gain by making accusations about Misha.

If you’re on a CIA’s crisis management team, and your job is to play for time and try to run the clock out on the American people’s attention span, the result might look something very much like the last two weeks in America.

And if your goal was to forestall pointed questions about Ruslan Tsarni and top CIA official Graham Fuller’s roles in the Tsarnaevs family’s frequent trips to Dagestan, you couldn’t have played it better.

Terrorism in the USA:
“What the NY Times investigation shows is an FBI at the center of perpetuating America’s terror menace, not at the forefront of fighting it. With every attack foiled or carried out involving FBI uncover operatives revealed only after successful “stings” or in the case of the World Trade Center bombings, an inconvenient witness stepping forward and revealing the FBI’s role, the first and foremost suspect considered after any bombing on US soil should be the FBI itself.”http://lookingglass.blog.co.uk/2013/08/01/boston-the-case-is-not-closed-part-16280843/

furtive

CHANGES TO U.S. MILITARY CODE

Boston was convenient for people who want to impose tighter controls over the American population.

“Defense Support of Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies”

Shortly after Boston, the military quietly granted itself the ability to police the streets without obtaining prior local or state consent, upending a precedent that has been in place for more than two centuries….The Boston Marathon bombing produced the most drastic military presence on American streets since the Revolutionary War. A major American city was effectively shut down. There’s a reason why this had not happened before:

It was illegal.

And despite the militarization of urban police forces, there was still a significant distinction between the two: Police forces are civilian and they are accountable to civilians.

The military is accountable to no one.

Civilian Police can be removed from power. You can’t remove the military from power.

The “small” change is language that permits military intervention in the event of “civil disturbances”. The rule can only be changed by Congress or the courts (both continue to undermine our civil liberties).

“The Marathon bombing has been very convenient for people interested in further eroding the rights of citizens. With the corrupt assistance of the mass media, the U.S. government has successfully propagandized a majority into believing the hallucination that total surveillance “protects” them from “terrorists.”

The citizens of Boston, who were forced to stay indoors but to open their homes to search by heavily-armed government agents, were more mesmerized by the lies that rather than protest this invasion of their rights and property. ”

I think that may have started with the Jamestown Settlement. But we’re getting better and better at it!

Melissa

classic comment. best i’ve ever read.

http://www.wix.com/kmerkelboruff/writeinkorg2011 Kay Merkel Boruff

As Hillary said, What difference does it make? We’ll find out the truth when the truth surfaces about Benghazi.

nicacat56

Seriously? “the truth about Benghazi”?…such a stupid and ridiculous comment…

Elizabeth

That you are even making this incredibly crass comment says a great deal — and not about this tragedy.

channea

Thanks for this article. Very sad that the FBI has shown so little integrity in this case. It’s a shame for all of us.

Joanne Kennedy

I have read this piece, and I heard the piece on This American Life, and I agree that there are many unanswered questions in the case of the FL incident. However I have looked over some of the comments here and all I have to say is that all your kvetching about conspiracies and false flags does nothing but denigrate the memories of the 4 innocent people who died and adds insult to the injuries of all those who were hurt.

Melissa

My outrage does not stem from conspiracies. One has to wonder that if the FBI had not been so willing to resort to extreme tactics maybe no one would have had to die in the first place. Where does their involvement begin and where does it end? Are they responsible for the murders of those 4 innocents?

Change You Can Keep

Very good point. Check out the FBI agents who were video taped at BS2 in civilian clothing, who then after the bomb went off were pictured in FBI garb.

Also the issue of the SAME FBI FIELD OFFICE in Boston had done a face to face interview with both Tsarnaev brothers, but when “Suspect 1″, and “Suspect 2″ were first identified at the press conference, the SAME FIELD OFFICE IN BOSTON needed the American People’s help in identifying them? No. Fing. Way.

furtive

Google “New York times FBI entrapment”
Read the article , 4-28-12
“Terrorist plots hatched by the FBI”.
I cannot paste the address here.

Joanne Kennedy

I am not denying that there is something “off” in the case in FL but I have looked over some of the comments here and all I have to say is that all your kvetching about conspiracies and false flags does nothing but denigrate the memories of the 4 innocent people who died and adds insult to the injuries of all those who were hurt.

Thomas Hall

your very right .

John Pfeiffer

So True

Elizabeth

Yes — thank you, Joanne Kennedy. It is so upsetting to see the way conspiracy theorists love to jump all over tragedy and treat it as if it were a game or a titillating puzzle to solve. They dehumanize the real humans involved. I’ve never been so disgusted as when I saw the way these people salivated over what happened in Sandy Hook, for example — referring to it as a hoax, to the neighbor who sheltered many of the students as an “actor,” and so forth. It’s revolting.

pjbthree

While I don’t think the FBI was a saint here, you have to doubt the neutrality of an article written by someone who dates drug dealers, let alone the girlfriend of one of the murdered drug dealers who is the object of this article. Someone this involved in the criminal underworld is not going to have a balanced approach to reporting on law enforcement. It makes me question the editorial judgment of Boston Magazine and how thoroughly they vetted this article.

furtive

She hardly knew him, got high with him years ago.. Her father, his lawyer knew him better. You are stretching …like the FBI DID & DOES.

pjbthree

Where does she say that? What she says is, We’ve both been close to men who were in trouble with the law, and lost them violently.”

sass

She also referred to him as only a friend. You may see this as cleverly connecting the dots; I call it reaching.

pjbthree

How many friends do you have in the criminal underworld?

Elizabeth

I’m going to go out on limb and say I think we’re all no more than two degrees away from someone with criminal connections. Take me — never used drugs, never so much as gotten a traffic ticket, but a relative of mine and an ex both had serious drug problems that (I later learned) entailed illegal activities. It’s just not that simple.

nicacat56

I agree with Elizabeth. While I can’t say that I haven’t gotten a traffic ticket, I haven’t ever been involved legally with anything else. AND, I was born and raised in a third world country with not very good connections to the US (Nicaragua, anyone?), and still, I’ve never experienced anything like what was talked about in this piece. It REALLY isn’t that simple…

sass

It’s true. My brothers have been in some stupid nonsense that I never even touched. Seriously. I left the town I grew up in to get away from my family history. I never took part in it and have no desire to. I’ll just be over here, 1400 miles away, working on my Ph. D.

sass

Are you serious right now? Please grow up. I don’t even have time. So much for logical discussion.

Creep.

pjbthree

An ad hominem attack is uncalled for but not unexpected from your type

Imnot George

Ha! Probably more than you know if you count embezzling accountants, dishonest CEOs, thieving stock brokers and lawyers making a living defending criminals. I’m not sure I’d call pot dealers “the criminal underworld”. LOL Makes it sound like they all have tattoos, secret handshakes and hang out at secret speak-easies that only allow criminals to enter.

furtive

Did you listen to her narration?
Google:
This American Life dead men tell no tales & listen to her describe her encounters…over one summer…that’s all.

John Pfeiffer

OMG, finally, a voice of reason in a room full of anti-government lunatics. Thanks for being a level headed commenter.

SIKES is connected Todashev’s cold blooded murder.
That is where the cover up begins.
The bar owner Ashir, was used by the FBI TO fabricate charges to deport yunis.
Tatiana, Hussein & yunis had to be AWOL, not for TAMERLAN, BUT FOR THE MURDER BY THE FBI OF IBRAHIM TODASHEV.

The FBI IS A MAFIA CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE, USING THE LAW TO FALSELY CHARGE & imprison witnesses.

A coverup within a coverup.

P.S. SIKES is an alias. He is undercover. “SIKES” was the ONE ARMED MAN IN “The fugitive.”

DEFUND THE FBI. THEY ARE CARNIVOROUS, LAWLESS, & milking the taxpayers!

“SIKES must be interrogated, & locked up for 9’weeks, like

henzcoop

The most chilling part of this story is the FBI’s approach of the hookah
bar owner to press charges, just a few days before they killed
Todashev. Because along with their witnessing of the parking lot fight
(and his previous arrest in Boston for volatile behavior), it appears
that they were preparing to provoke him to violence so that they could
justify shooting him, and claim he was “about to confess” to his and
Tamerlan’s involvement.
Personally, I think the evidence in the
Waltham murders points to Brendan, and/or one of the other two, being
used as informants by police. When the head of a major and violent drug
ring (from whom they sometimes acquired their supplies) was arrested,
the triple murder was payback (the sprinkled pot a clear message).
Tamerlan Tsarnaev figured out that it was likely some corrupt Watertown
cops who had told members of the drug ring the identity of the
informants, and so he held them responsible for the death of his friend.
This is why Tsarnaev hung around after the bombing, eventually leading
the manhunt to Watertown–he wanted to take out as many Watertown cops
as he could before his demise.

I agree with your first paragraph: provocation.
If TAMERLAN didn’t feel safe , he would have split boston.

He had nothing to do with the explosions. He was part of the cast…the moral is : DO NOT TRUST ANY LAW RNFORCEMENT OFFICER-
“trust me” is deceptive.

pjbthree

Who had nothing to do with the explosions? You aren’t trying to say Tamerlan was innocent are you, with all the security camera pictures of this ruthless cold blooded murderer who set a ticking time bomb next to innocent women and children and calmly walked away?

furtive

Yessiree, I sure am. He was a cast member. No video except in a crowd.
Check out the CIA asset jeff bauman who lived to see another false flag.

You have to see the trees, not the forest.

The fbi is corrupt, especially Boston office.

nicacat56

So, @furtive…very interesting, indeed. Do you, indeed, have the links to the videos? I’m not questioning your suggestion at all.

Paul K

Please provide links to videos showing suspects placing bags.

Melissa

good point and chilling revelation.

LocalHero

There are no videos of them planting the bombs because there were no “real” bombs – merely smoke puffs. Nobody died and nobody was injured in Boston. Period.

Imnot George

or it could be CIA involvement in the “War on Terror” combining drugs, Chechan muslims and who knows what criminal elements. Then using the FBI to cover it up and clean up after themselves. If this is the case we may never know or it could be decades before the truth comes out.

Imnot George

or it could be CIA involvement in the “War on Terror” combining drugs, Chechan muslims and who knows what criminal elements. Then using the FBI to cover it up and clean up after themselves. If this is the case we may never know or it could be decades before the truth comes out.

Ken Coit

Just listened to This American Life episode on this. There were at least two video clips broadcast as the search for the perpetrators started aster the bombing. In the one that was seen most ofter, there were two suspects walking briskly with backpacks. I believe they were identified as the brothers.

In another clip which I only saw twice, there was a third person following the brothers, walking behind the second as if in lockstep and behind the second brother just as the second was behind the first.

The third person was carrying a bag, probably a canvas bag with long straps for handles. The contents of the bag were covered with a folded towel stuffed over whatever was inside.

Am I the only person who noticed this? Shouldn’t the video be available to the press?

Paul K

Plenty of vids out there but not nearly as many as were recorded and collected that day. And no recent photos of the suspect…unlike Timothy McVeigh who we saw wearing his orange jumper numerous times before during and after his trial. And he killed hundreds.

Paul K

The lady carrying the balloons seems like a target used for spotting from a high vantage point for coordination purposes. Not to mention the guy adjusting his earpiece as they all walk by.

debby grant

This scared the living crap out of me. As an advisor in HS for AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, I conclude that our country is OUT OF CONTROL, with it’s abuse of power. O m g, What next?

Imnot George

We’ve always been more or less “Out of Control”, it’s just that most of us don’t experience it if we are lucky. Think of the anti-communist fervor of the ’50s, anti-Hippie, youth and drugs of the 60’s and 70’s. Pot smoking youth were jailed for decades or consigned to mental institutions where they were given electro-shock therapy. The Jim Crow century in the South between 1865 and 1965 was pretty “out of control” as well. Then we have had the get tough on crime and “War on Drugs” from the 1980’s on where city minorities are arrested, jailed and convicted at many times the rate of suburban whites and their families and communities destroyed. Now we still have the “War on Terror” as well. Pick a period in U.S. history and I can show you where and how we were “out of control”.

Tinkersdamn

This story, and more so “This American Life” broadcast, demonstrates the inadequacy and inefficiency of pursuing domestic law enforcement matters as part of “the war on terror”. Death, and seemingly pointless deportations appear to be the result of an unaccountable, wide and dubiously used discretion of against who’ve wasted resources in making the homeland safe from people who aren’t a threat to it, while leaving cases of genuine crime unattended.

For now, law enforcement of this nature is generally only experienced by foreigners – legally, and the underclass – illegally. But I can’t forget the months after 9/11 and the sea of well armed law enforcement surrounding virtually all well attended public events throughout Boston and the not unsubtle message: “Don’t nobody get no ideas!”, treating the populace, not terrorism, as the suspected enemy. And, frankly, Snowden’s revelations seem just another piece of this mind-set. I hope the exposure of this seeming idiocy helps to overcome it. Good work Ms. Zalkind.

Imnot George

Yes, be especially careful never to give police any reason to think you are perpetrating a “contempt of cop” crime (even though it doesn’t exist on the law books – or perhaps it does since COC is any crime that will fit at the time).

mandinka

a bunch of illegals and crooks they all should have sent back from where they came

As stated by one of the only intelligent commenters on this feed, i agree 100% that the author’s story is one-sided. I would strongly agree that “You have to doubt the
neutrality of an article written by someone who dates drug dealers, let
alone the girlfriend of one of the murdered drug dealers who is also the
object of this article. Someone this involved in the criminal
underworld is not going to have a balanced approach to reporting on law
enforcement.” And like the individual who made that statement on this page, i strongly agree that It makes me question the editorial judgment of Boston
Magazine and how thoroughly they vetted this article before allowing this individual and her followers to slander law enforcement officials that are already restricted from doing their job.

I first heasrd this on This American Life where she did in fact refer to him as someone she was dating

isabelle

No, she said she stopped smoking pot and so she found she had little in common with him and they drifted apart. Here’s a reality check for you: 99.9% of young people today is a friend to someone who smokes pot.

Malcolm_Kirkpatrick

I dated a cocktail waitress once. Alcohol was illegal from 1919 to 1932 iirc. Is that grounds to mistrust her?

sass

If you listened to that broadcast as you claim to have, you’ll also recall that they mentioned this article was released first and it was condensed for the radio, narrated by Ms. Zalkind. I listened to it too, which is what brought me here. Not once did she say she dated the man who was killed in Waltham.

Lisa Bean

“Her connection is that she was friends with one of the victims…” “we hung out a few times that summer”

listening to it right now. NOTHING about dating. Obv your grasp of the facts is pretty loose.

To the OP, if cops have been writing history as the victors, you HAVE to question their accounts. Idiot. They get to throw their weight around in court, as well as everywhere else in this country. Including your living room. Having an account of the other side is just good record keeping.

Alan

What I really love about ad hominem attacks is that they free me from having to engage in careful reading, critical analysis, or considering the facts. Instead of having to consider the situation, I can rest comfortably with my existing prejudices and biases. I find it quite liberating, don’t you?

Stan Swift

Sounds like someone doesn’t know the meaning of ad hominem. Pointing out a possible conflict of interest or bias on the part of the reporter is certainly not “ad hominem.” You could potentially argue that the comment is guilty of “poisoning the well” but you’d actually have the point out where his characterization is inaccurate or inflammatory. I sincerely hope that helps

Alan

Pfeiffer claims that the article is one-sided and that the author has slandered (libeled) law enforcement officials. The only evidence he cites to support these claims are attacks on the author herself. Circumstantial ad hominem fallacy.

Paul K

Let’s talk about the whole “dating the drug dealer” angle. Marijuana is about to be legalized, and when it is, wouldn’t that make people who sell it now people who are engaging in civil disobedience against an unjust law? Activists you could say. She did say she thought the guy only sold pot and not other more harmful drugs like painkillers, which are legal ironically..

fishaddict

So what you are saying when THC is legal and incorporates, and starts making a profit, you will be alright with all the other companies making profits, looking out for themselves and their shareholders? And when it gets to be big pot who supports laws making it illegal to have non state sanctioned stores sell to protect the safety and availability of the product and the CEOs become wealthy, You will suddenly become a capatalist?

Oldking Cole

That will never happen to an industry surrounding a plant so easy to grow in your own home… I mean garden… I mean, nevermind.

gbossa_25

The CIA has been “dating” drug dealers since the 1950’s, but then again, who among us would dare doubt their “neutrality?”

Michael Alvarez

Anyone thats saying the author is of questionable validity because she was close with a drug dealer… get real. Its not a dark underworld when it comes to weed, as it usually entails relaxing and smiling and not harming yourself, unlike drinking alcohol. deaths from drunk driving per day alone demolish the entire history of weed related deaths(because its zero). It has even been found to KILL MANY CANCERS, and unlike chemo ONLY kills the cancer cells like heat seeking missiles while not harming a single other cell.
That last part was a bit off point, but seriously, I dont fear for our younger generation as much as i fear for the generations that came before me, because they choose to be this close minded/ignorant.
Just because this journalist included her pot use in her story doesnt mean any others dont use it too, or actual drugs for that matter. If any opinion should be said of it, it should be praise for at least being real with us.
I dont know if youll read this, but great work. I know it must have seemed like forever gathering the story for 6 months, and must have been nerve racking to pursue some of the things. So for sticking it through, thank you.

apprxam

So these nice fellas, selling this harmless plant, got their throats just because? Nothing about the possible connection with known terrorist either?

The Zalkind article in fact mentions that Erik contacted Susan for her dad’s phone number. Then she mentions that later her dad told her he didn’t think the case would go to trial. Sounds like Erik may have made a deal.

Notice how I addressed his posting and not that of the general story. Thanks for the assist, though, henzi.

Oldking Cole

It’s only shady business due to it’s prohibition. Ever heard of Al Capone?

apprxam

Prohibited or not, drug dealers and users contribute to social pathologies.

Michael Alvarez

apprxam, sorry to keep you waiting, its not often I find myself signed into the boston magazine website since i live across the country. Now for clarification you said drug dealers and users contribute to social pathologies. In short I can say I agree, but the reasons for agreeing likely differ very much.
“Social pathology includes: substance abuse, violence, abuses of women and children, crime, terrorism, corruption, criminality, discrimination, isolation, stigmatisation and human rights violations.”
So while this would entail things like alcohol, cocaine, meth, heroin(substance abuse) and people who deal them(crime) it doesnt discriminate so the endless list of ssri’s, maoi’s, adhd/add meds, pain meds, etc., must be included and the drug dealers we call the pharmaceutical companies must be included.(If you think im stretching the truth look up how devestating those drugs are, while on them, while withdrawing, and so on.( Here’s a link to verify my claim and while it has MANY links, its only the tip of the iceberg, but further detail is for another discussion i think). We have this articles documentation and countless others showing corruption, stigmatization, isolation, and crime by the govt ranging from the stigma they spread about weed while not having an issue at all with the pharma companies, alcohol, cigs, amphetamines(adderal/vyvanse) and why the double standards? They are okay with these things since they have control of those markets and its profits, despite how many lives are destroyed by the substance addictions they cause/maintain, and despite how many people are killed by them daily. Now on the other hand, we have marijuana, which ive mentioned has amazingly positive health effects and can effectively kill a few major types of cancer cells(which is another blow to them by making the extremely overpriced meds they peddle at risk of being replaced with something that actually works), and aside from that does not cause aggression, addiction, is not a gateway like some claim.
And I see where it does inhibit peoples lives, but look closer. the MAJOR side being the govt(basically the strong arm enforcers of the “legal” drug dealers), and the other being from bad people in general. I knew multiple dealers of all backgrounds back in my late teens.
Almost none of them were any more/less shady than you or I, had their life in order, and their choices and results make it make it hard to catergorize it as social pathology. One kid got beat up by a selfish and greedy ‘friend’ of his because that kid wanted to steal his weed. I’ll draw the connection now and get to the point. It is not a soc. path. because of its inherent attributes but instead because of stigmas, corruption, and bad people in general. And are bad people only pot smokers? No, bad people can be anywhere, in any situation . That is life. Dealing pot is generally harmless and when it does harm, its not via domestic abuse, addiction, vehicular manslaughter, etc. When it does harm its directly because of the govt, people who use it as a cruch so they can be lazy and would find another way if weed dissapeared. The other thing would be the bad people I mentioned. People are murdered, exploited, blackmails, etc all the time in all situations in the world. and the victims are not all pot smokers.dealers etc. they rate that incidents happen to them at random is the same as non smokers/dealers. Weed doesnt harm people, people harm people.

Big pharma is indeed a problem to us all, Mike, but that problem pales in comparison to the urban containment zones called high crime neighborhoods. If you’re lucky enough to not get shot, the atmosphere of abject fear in every waking moment is dredful. Low grades and hypertension awaits the often forget victims of your liberal math. So excuse me if I can’t muster the sympathetic muscle for your drug dealing friends.

Thanks for agreeing with me, I ‘m honored.

Imnot George

Far more violence has been perpetrated in history without the influence of drugs and under the influence of religion than with drugs yet I don’t hear you denouncing religion. I wonder why not?

I suggest you read “High Price” written by Dr. Carl Hart which blows up a lot of the myths and assumptions about drug use with facts and science. Drugs have been used for millenia and are often blamed for things in our society that usually exist for other reasons and persist without drugs. I’m not saying drugs are good (though they can be) or bad, but that we need to look deeper and take more responsibility for the social ills in our society. Blaming drugs and drug dealers is the cheap and easy lazy man’s way out.

apprxam

All that BS is your perspective.

What is needed will depend on the address you live at, and the window one looks through. Drug dealers appear to have a leading role in the chaos…, dear expert.

Imnot George

BS? Well, maybe you are right, your “War on Drugs” has worked out so well now hasn’t it? All it needs is more money, dogs and cops I guess. Double the DEA, right?

How many people do we have incarcerated for non-violent drug crimes? Maybe it isn’t the drugs and the dealers (after all, they are all around and have been throughout history) we should be looking at, but perhaps deeper for better solutions?

Try reading the book (and giving your own experiences and knowledge more credit, believe what your lying eyes tell you, before believing the anti-drug propaganda) and then comment.

apprxam

War on drugs?…okay.

Look, I just don’t happen to agree with you; that happens sometime. Not everyone sees criminals as victims tricked by the system. I just happen to believe victims are victims.

So you can stop trying to convince me of your higher-than-mighty POV and grand indignation, I’m not the one you need to preach to, though I do hope your hurt feelings get better some day.

Imnot George

Not all criminals are “victims tricked by the system”, but a lot are. I wouldn’t say “tricked” either. I would say put in positions where they have nothing to lose and no stake in society. 80% of all drug arrests are for simple possession and minorities get arrested at a much higher rate than whites despite the fact that they use drugs at a slightly lower rate overall. Just read “The New Jim Crow” or “High Price”. Drug policy is the new Jim Crow. BTW, my feelings are not hurt at all. Yours was actually the most polite and reasonable rely on social media I have had in a while. No one who posts here wants to use fact and reason to discuss – everyone just has their own opinion (and we know what opinions are like). I have considered others arguments and have actually changed my position over time on these topics.

apprxam

George…though I agree with very little on your side, you seem like a nice fellow. But…

…not once have you mentioned the victims of these people. The ones that live in constant fear of violence. Kids 30 standards behind their safe cohorts who don’t have to worry about being shot on the way to school or their living room.

Imnot George

How about not persecuting people for victimless non-violent crime and creating jobs for them and locking the voilent ones up for a long long time. You obviously have the same knee jerk “get tough” attitude that got us the “War on Drugs” and an incarceration rate higher than any other modern industrial nation on earth. BTW, violent crime has been coming down for the last 20 or 30 years so things are actually getting far better despite our worst efforts. Just look to the data and not fear mongering and hysteria please.

Minnie Worths

Actually she has questionable validity because she never addressed the fact that her friend had obviously ramped up his drug dealing operation (coke, oxycontin) and could have made all kinds of enemies.

Malcolm_Kirkpatrick

Thank you, Susan Zalkind, for this gift of your time and skill.

john o

Within federal law enforcement FBI is understood to mean: friendly but incompetent… now it looks like they’re not even friendly.

sass

I regret trying to help others on this comment section think logically and objectively. Now I’m being accused of being a part of a criminal underworld…WTFE. Bunch of lunatics. Ms. Zalkind, thank you for your perspective on this. If we can only try to find more pieces to the puzzle, we can find answers on more than just these two cases.

Black

All these people have funny names so they must be guilty of something, right, Brain Dead Americans?

hlpeary

Thank you, Ms. Zalkind. I am waiting to hear AG Coakley and DA Ryan’s excuses for their inaction and lack of transparency relative to the Massachusetts State Police being in Florida and present the night of this killing. How can the public not become cynical?

der Meistersinger

Excellent reporting. I’d contact Maksim Shevchenko in Moscow if possible. Call BU or Harvard’s Russian program if you need a pro-bono translator. This doesn’t look right to me, either. My best guess is Tamerlan was a CIA asset related to their programs in the Caucasus, and was protected from the local investigation into Waltham 2011.

okiloki

Interesting article but I still don’t have any sympathy for Ibriham; he probably was involved with or, at the very least, knew of Tsarnaev’s involvement in the triple murder. If the FBI didn’t follow protocol, they should be investigated, as it’s not as competent of an agency as the movies make them out to be, but their “victim” had a troubled history and shouldn’t have even been allowed into this country to begin with.

BostonKevin617

One of the Waltham 3 snitched….
You don’t get caught with weight and walk….

>>TODASHEV WAS SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD<>BACK OF THE HEAD….he knew something….so did the people who were deported.

Who is involved in the global drug trade? CIA…Afghanistan?…Wait wasn’t Uncle Ruslan married to CIA director Graham Fuller’s daughter?…The same Graham Fuller who is obsessed with the political gains from the covert use of muslim extremists? Its becoming a lot clearer now…Uncle Ruslan even changed his name in ’98. How come?

I would bet that Mess was the one with the connect…They were buying drugs from the wrong people. There is no way that Tamerlan Tsarnaev wasn’t mobbed up in some way…odds are against it…next door neighbors….c’mon

Minnie Worths

WTG This American Life. Reporting on a probable terrorist who likely murdered some drug dealers. Hard to evoke sympathy even with the poignant ambient music bed.

Oh, and when someone has multiple arrests for violent assaults, it’s a bit of downplay to label it a ‘bad temper’.

I do not follow that the crime leads to IT or TT. Look at the crime scene and ask what does it tell you, it is a warning that those men should have kept selling pot,and not got involved in narcotic sales, they were stepping on someones territory, look to the narcotic gang

Eme

Thanks Susan for highlighting the excellent work Boston law enforcement and the FBI did in getting rid of foreign thieves and murderers who only came to our country to push drugs and kill. They provided no value to our country, they only came to cause problems. I’m sure the Russian Federation will be happy to have their wayward citizens back…maybe they can put them to work in the takeover of Crimea

furtive

So, the FBI is once again immune from murder 1:

I’d love to hear a comment from SUSAN’s dad about the HALLS OF INJUSTICE, ESPECIALLY the FBI CRIME SYNDICATE

Can you imagine the outrage that would have occurred over Fast-N-Furious had Eric Holder been an appointee of GW Bush or any other Republican president?

It’s like this bogus POTUS is immune from scrutiny by the liberal media

furtive

It’s Vincent B. Lisi. The Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Divisio

If the feds can bring the hammer down on this Phillipos kid, why wasn’t Vincent B. Lisi, investigated and indicted earlier in his career for possibly doing something a lot more serious than the Phillipos kid?

Vincent Lisi may have, in fact, falsified evidence to frame an innocent man in a domestic terrorism case involving anthrax letter attacks — a case that made national headlines for several years.

The framed man ultimately committed suicide.

And the framed man was no terrorist.

He was absolutely not a terrorist. Just the opposite. He was at top researcher at USAMRIID at Fort Detrick. And, he was such an outstanding research scientist that he had received the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service—the highest award given to Defense Department civilian employees.

I want to compliment the young writer, Ms.Zalkind, on her interesting, if a bit anti-cop, slanted article. As a professed pot-smoker, the author’s short-term memory loss does not seem to be so acute as to impinge her tale of “he said, she said” and its distinct anti-law enforcement opinion.
The answers, though unfortunately circumstantial, to the cold-blooded murders are in her story. Rarely is a murder, let alone a triple murder, neatly and efficiently tied up in a week’s time; even with a recorded confession.
I suggest Ms. Zalkind next be assigned an in-depth article to write called, “My month as a cop” perhaps shadowing a law officer’s life for four weeks would give her a broader view of the realities of keeping this country a lawful nation.
If that doesn’t improve the writer’s objectiveness, perhaps she could go live for a while in Chechnya with the poor, noble, victimized jack-Muslims* that were sent back there as a result of the investigation.

(Jack-Muslims is a slang term borrowed from the commonly used phrase in the Southwest to refer to Mormons who smoke, drink alcohol, stay single & party, etc.. They are not actually practicing their religion, therefore, they are Jack-Mormans. It is not intended as an insult, just to point out a discrepancy in reference)

furtive

You are a nasty sob, a cop no less.

Imnot George

I want to compliment you on casting aspersions on the writer and on all Chechens and Muslims involved in this case while appearing to be polite and reasonable on the surface. It is disingenuous at the very least when you insult people with terms like “jack-muslim” and profess that it is not intended as an insult and also cast aspersions on the author because she was honest about smoking some pot as a college freshman. Nasty.

Yes, police and other law enforcement are a key part of keeping “this country a lawful nation.” however, I have seen police misconduct and experienced police and prosecutors covering it up so that adds to this country being a lawless place. It is far more common than most people think. This is especially true when law enforcement believes and acts as if they laws do not apply to them. There are many honorable and honest police, sheriffs, federal agents and prosecutors, but they become as lawless as the bad ones when they honor the “blue wall of silence” and they dishonor themselves, law enforcement, our laws and the Constitution.

I think an assignment following law officers for a month would be enlightening, but perhaps not in the way you think. If you think that the officers would not be minding their p’s and q’s and keeping their noses very very clean under the watchful eye of a reporter you are deluded. It would definitely not be “business as usual” which for a significant proportion of law enforcement means threats and intimidation to anyone and everyone they come in contact with (depending on how they feel that day usually) and constant breaking of even the most mundane laws like speeding and using turn signals (which IMO the police should be setting and example rather than breaking constantly). After all police are only human and just as fallible as the rest of us and we all know that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The power to get away with breaking just about any law at any time and having your colleagues help cover it up as a responsibility of the “blue curtain” is as close to absolute power as one can get in the U.S.A. without being elected to Congress or the Presidency.

Vera Morgan

Hello everyone on this forum, i am full of joy now in writing this article about how Dr Alex was able to bring my husband out of jail, it all started few months ago when my husband had quarrels with his company business partner, this issue was deeply so though for the both parties, at first when this case started my husband did not tell me not until it when the case was really though and serious, my husband after hold serious troubles and conflict with his business partner for many times they decided to take the case to court, and on the first sit this case was said to be arjorn, my husband took his lawyer and the lawyer told him not to worry that he was going to sit on the case, and we had to spend a huge amount of money to settle this case, but till to all on the second sit my husband was sentenced to jail, by the magistrate for 5years, when i went in research of this case i found out my husband was just innocent, so i started to try all means to bring my husband out from Jail, on my search on the internet i found out how Dr Alex Of ( solutionhelpcentre@gmail.com ) was able to help a lady whose husband has also be arrested for an unknown case, i had to email Dr Alex and told him about my trouble, he told me that everything will be okay, if only i have the faith in him, after all he told me he was going to cast a spell on my husband and after which my husband was going to come out from Jail, and his opponent will beg him to forgive them, true to the words Dr Alex told me my husband is back to me and we are living fine now, wow i am so happy i tried the spells of Dr Alex, Sir i am grateful for what you have done,, you can email him on solutionhelpcentre@gmail.com or call +2347036013351.

bluesandwine

I would add that many of these Chechens were in the US illegally, under Student visa…and simply not going to school. Does anyone remember the big uproar over the two friends of Tsarnaev who went to Umass with him, at least one should have not been allowed back into the country due to him being kicked out of school. So from there, they decided to crack down on Student visas and those use it as entry into the US – don’t attend school and decide to stay in the country. It”s pretty clear, this writing style of where her beliefs linger to, and that is not an objective way to write an article, particularly one that is so inconclusive…and she is the same person who made blanket statements to the media on CNN or other news outlets that BB could have been prevented had they solved this murder. That remains to be seen…if that were the case, her article here would be not be making her few dollars and showing off her so-so skills at remaining neutral. But again, even if they interviewed Tamerlan, there is no way of knowing they would have found him to be the murder, so all of that hindsight crap is meaningless and she should not use it as a part of her ploy for publicity. The biggest thing I got from reading this, is there is more to this story, and certainly another viewpoint to it – and I feel it needs to be wrote, as this women made a point in one bias direction and because of that , it’s apparent she left out a lot of things that run contrary to her finger pointing, and he or she said type of reporting. She clearly needs more experience and an editor should had done a better job at focusing this piece away from her personal beliefs.

Vera Morgan

Hello everyone on this forum, i am full of joy now in writing this article about how Dr Alex was able to bring my husband out of jail, it all started few months ago when my husband had quarrels with his company business partner, this issue was deeply so though for the both parties, at first when this case started my husband did not tell me not until it when the case was really though and serious, my husband after hold serious troubles and conflict with his business partner for many times they decided to take the case to court, and on the first sit this case was said to be arjorn, my husband took his lawyer and the lawyer told him not to worry that he was going to sit on the case, and we had to spend a huge amount of money to settle this case, but till to all on the second sit my husband was sentenced to jail, by the magistrate for 5years, when i went in research of this case i found out my husband was just innocent, so i started to try all means to bring my husband out from Jail, on my search on the internet i found out how Dr Alex Of ( solutionhelpcentre@gmail.com ) was able to help a lady whose husband has also be arrested for an unknown case, i had to email Dr Alex and told him about my trouble, he told me that everything will be okay, if only i have the faith in him, after all he told me he was going to cast a spell on my husband and after which my husband was going to come out from Jail, and his opponent will beg him to forgive them, true to the words Dr Alex told me my husband is back to me and we are living fine now, wow i am so happy i tried the spells of Dr Alex, Sir i am grateful for what you have done,, you can email him on solutionhelpcentre@gmail.com or call +2347036013351..

Peter Booker

The Waltham murders were obviously a message from someone to someone else. Whoever did them was not after money or drugs. I have read (but not verified) that the bodies were discovered by a pizza driver making a delivery to that address, and that coincidentally it was a pizza company for which one of the Tsarnaev worked as a driver (I forget which brother), though the brother did not happen to be working that night. Tempting to think that the message was for one of the Tsarnaevs.

Lisa Bean

Regardless of the nature of the reporting of this story, the use of witch hunt trials for looking for terrorists is DISGUSTING. When looking for a witch, drown her, and if she lives, she’s a witch. If she dies, she wasn’t; When looking for a terrorist, if he doesn’t give you anything, deport him, just in case, but if he offers you information, PROVING he’s a got any kind of terrorist connection, you allow them to stay?! So they can inform on others? The most backwards, self-sufficing MO ever. How novel.